A reverse osmosis system is a viable treatment option for small communities seeking to achieve compliance with stringent drinking water standards. Here's how one town in Illinois used reverse osmosis to satisfy the needs of its citizens and their collective pocketbook. The City of Toluca is a small community in central Illinois that has been producing potable water for its community water supply using a reverse osmosis treatment system since February 1992. The $700,000 system provides high-quality water that meets the requirements of the current and anticipated federal and state regulations. The cost of the water production is low, approximately $2.50 per 1,000 gal., a reasonable cost for the quality. The application of the technology in central Illinois was implemented to comply with radium standards contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986 and its amendments.